By Mike Saucier
@MikeTheSauce
This was Gov. Jan Brewer’s week. A big speech with a surprise twist and resultant publicity.
She unveiled a plan to expand Medicaid. Brewer tweeted this tweet and picture: “I’m proud to stand with #AZ leaders in #business and #healthcare in support of #Medicaid expansion. #AZCompetes”
Brewer was widely praised for the plan, drawing plaudits from across the aisle.
Republic legislative reporter Alia Rau tweeted: “Brewer promise of task force against human trafficking gets applause from both sides of aisle.”
PHOENIX IS COLD…
This week was “cold” in Phoenix. There was frost. Stuff called ice. People saw their breath. And basically freaked out.
Meteorologist Ken Waters really stretched the definition of a “deep freeze” as he tweeted: “High today at Phx airport so far was 45 (43 now). Record low High Temp is 46. Likely one for the record books. #DeepFreeze continues. #AZwx”
Amy Lidster tweeted: “This is an ice hanging out of my hose into my pool. Did I mention I live in Phoenix?”
Michael Chow, photographer with the Republic, tweeted a snow experiment pic: “I still have snow on my lawn after 4 days! I made it using air compressor, water & PVC pipe during #azfreeze
Things returned to 70-and-sunny normal at midweek, and the panic died down as we returned to permanent weather bliss.
Jen Parsons of Phoenix weighed in: “All the convertible tops are down today. Thanks for coming back, Phoenix winter!”
And Stephanie Lough of Arcadia tweeted: “Back in the 70s. That’s right, Phoenix, you weren’t fooling anyone with that 40 degrees bull!”
BUT IS PHOENIX ACTUALLY ‘COOL’?
The Republic’s utilities reporter Ryan Randazzo tweeted an article from a San Francisco Chronicle travel writer who chronicled Phoenix recently as he took a walk around the downtown area. Randazzo tweeted: “SF Chronicle travel writer says Phoenix is cool. Readers don’t believe it (based on story chatter).” The link to the story (headlined “Once-sleepy Phoenix perks up”): tinyurl.com/cg83aq8
‘LAST STAND’ FOR COPS
News talk 92.3 host Bruce St. James tweeted: “At #TheLastStand screening w @RealSheriffJoe and a room full of cops. Seriously, like 50 of them. #WrongTheaterToRob”
TWEET OF THE WEEK
This picture of Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona and Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, tweeted by Rangel, gives anyone who likes Congressional bipartisanship hope. False hope, but hope nonetheless. Rangel tweeted: “Sharing a laugh w/ my Republican colleague Rep Schweikert before going on the @kudlowreport on @CNBC soon”
THE TWEETWEEK IN SPORTS
A busy and weird week in the sports world. The Cardinals finally found a coach, as Dan Bickley of the Republic noted in this tweet: “For the team that struck last, Cardinals did just fine by hiring Bruce Arians.”
It won’t be at the top of the priority list for Arians, but one of his players is a tweeting train wreck. Defensive end Darnell Dockett, who made headlines recently after Dockett hitting on about Katherine Webb, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron‘s model girlfriend (and Miss Alabama), asking her out for some wings and visit to a strip club.
This week he again made headlines for his Twitter activity as he seized on the wacky story of Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o and directed this tweet at the embattled player, which is altered here for adult language: “@MTeo_5 bro we all make mistakes, f*** it, Mann lets just go to KOD and ill find u what u looking for. You like midgets got a bad one 4 you.”
The website that broke the Te’o story, Deadspin.com, posted Dockett’s tweet and wrote: “”KOD” is an acronym for King of Diamonds, the strip club that Dockett is known for inviting people to. There are worse places than a strip club in which to drown one’s sorrows, but we’re not really sure what to make of Dockett’s offer to find Manti a “midget.” Maybe he knows something else that the rest of us don’t.”
The Te’o story—football star says he has girlfriend; says girlfriend dies; it’s all a social media hoax because it’s discovered girlfriend never existed—has a lot of moving and confusing parts, too much even for Meghan McCain, as she tweeted: “Nobody is more into social media than I am – and I am beyond confused by this football player/catfish/dead/fake girlfriend story…”
Dockett offered a nice segue tying the Te’o story to the other big sports story of the week, the Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Dockett tweeted, with a pic: “Lance Armstrong we haven’t forgot about you!
Michael Chow, the photographer with the Republic mentioned earlier, tweeted this during the week’s cold snap:
“I bought this #LanceArmstrong book used years ago and never read it. It’s good for kindling during #azfreeze”
Phoenixstoryteller, marketer, and writer David Leibowitzgot it right when he tweeted: “Generally speaking, PR redemption rises or falls based largely on likability. That’s likely to be Lance’s fatal flaw.”
From Dockett to Te’o to Armstrong to…Tebow.
Yup, that’s right. The beleaguered former Jets and Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was here working out and Twitter was all over it.
We have Tebow working out, via a tweet and pic from Dan Bickley: “Tim Tebow working out at Paradise Valley Community College”
We have a just-missed-seeing Tebow tweet from Tim McGuireof the Cronkite School:“I apparently missed Tim Tebow by 30 minutes in Fry’s Tully’s. Barista is singing his praises as a ‘great guy.’”
There were outright calls for him to stay here and join the Cards, such as this tweet from Katie McLaughlinof Scottsdale: “Tim Tebow… You’re in Scottsdale right now and while you’re here you should join the Cardinals. @TimTebow”
And disappointment that he will not be staying, from “Good Morning Arizona” anchor Stella Inger: “Looks like the Tim Tebow sighting at Paradise Valley Community College has nothing to do w/the Cards. Tebow had a film crew w/him. Hmmmm”
And to wrap up, a tweet from 3 TV news producer Ruben Hidalgo (actually a retweet but so what) that brings together Tebow (remember Tebow-ing?) and T’eo:
“…aaaand a meme is born! RT “@BuzzFeed: Te’oing!”
SHOUTOUTS AND SHAMELESS PLUGS
Sandy Wasserman, a “Foodie,Blogger,sales & marketer of wine & spirits and Burger reviewer 4 Phoenix Examiner,” enjoyed a filling combination this week at Four Peaks Brewery and Smashburger in Phoenix, tweeting: “I’m stuffed…burgers, beer & shakes w/ @TarynJeffries & @ThatRodneyGuy Thanks @SmashburgerPHX & @fourpeaksbrew”
Kerry Melcher of Phoenix, is a “front porch dweller, happy human native to phoenix, az, realtor, lives w/happy family 2 kids & husband. politics junkie, geekish, reader, wine & food fan,” according to her Twitter bio. She’s also a fan of Lux Central coffee shop in Phoenix. She tweeted this four square check-in: “This latte makes me soooooo happy! (@ Lux Central w/ 3 others)”
JUST RANDOM
Sarah Brouns, who lives in Sacramento and an “M2F Transgendered person & egalitarian who is aspiring to be a motivational speaker/philanthropist so I can inspire the world” (according to her Twitter bio) tweeted: “Everytime I drink root beer I think about those root beer candy sticks that my grandparents would buy me in Bisbee, Arizona-I wanna go back!”
REST IN PEACE
Tim McGuire, the “Frank Russell Chair for Business of Journalism at Arizona State’s Cronkite School,” who was mentioned earlier for his Tebow-sighting near miss, noted this week’s passing of Pauline Phillips at 94. Phillips founded the “Dear Abby” column in 1956 under the pen name “Abigail Van Buren.” McGuire, who apparently spoke with the legend during his distinguished journalism career, tweeted: “Sorry to hear of Dear Abby’s death. She gave a damn and proved it to me with a few evening phone calls. Nice, feisty lady.”
SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING
So, you think a tweet is funny, clever or over-the-top? Nominate it for inclusion in TwitterZona. Do it by email at msaucier@gmail.com or Tweet me @MikeTheSauce.
(TwitterZona is a column about Arizona tweets from movers and shakers in government, the sports world, newsrooms, public relations, the commentariat, business and enterprise, entertainment, the restaurant and nightlife scene, and arenas in between. Tweet selection is based on whether it is funny, clever, timely, insightful, provocative, sweet, moving, uplifting, or if it was an apt way of commenting on the issue of the moment. It was conceived by and written by Phoenix resident Mike Saucier, @MikeTheSauce, a former newspaper reporter and editor in Massachusetts and New York City and a former spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York City Department of Correction. Email: msaucier@gmail.com)
